ARE THESE RUMORS TRUE?

ARE THESE RUMORS TRUE?

Over the last eight years, since the beginning of Lighthouse Trails, various rumors about Lighthouse Trails have made their way back to us – we have come to learn that many of them were started by those whom we have critiqued. However, we have rarely addressed these rumors, believing that the Lord will defend us as He sees fit and also that our documentation will stand on its own. We have tried and will continue to try to keep our focus on defending the Gospel and contending for the faith. As the Lord gives strength and grace, we shall press forward. The sad thing about false rumors is that they can keep some people from reading our material, simply because they have been told something about us or our work that is not true, but rather than trying to confirm the rumors, they are merely accepted and believed. Below, we are listing some of the rumors that we have learned about and the truth of the matter. Some of them are humorous; others we take more seriously:

a. One of the earliest we heard, back in 2005, (and saw firsthand) was an e-mail being sent out to various people from Saddleback which stated that Lighthouse Trails and Ray Yungen were “sitting on a pile of money.” We had to chuckle at this one and say to ourselves in jest, “We sure wish they would tell us where it is because we could really use that money right now.”

b. Another, about a year and a half ago, said that the owners of Lighthouse Trails “lived in the boonies in a trailer,” neither of which is true. But we felt that even if it had been true, how does that change the things we have reported on? God is no respecter of persons or possessions. Actually, at the time of that rumor, Lighthouse Trails was located in a small city of 7000 people, only 15 miles away from an urban area of 200,000.

c. This next one is of a more serious nature saying that the Lighthouse Trails books, which are filled with quotes and references, take quotes out of context. However, while our critics have said this over the years, we have yet to receive one example of where we have done this. The fact is, we have thoroughly checked every single quote that is in each of the books (in our three main books that is over 1000 quotes), and in every case, the quotes are in context with the intent of the authors of the original texts.

d. This rumor was a sad one and a very surprising one to us, and it originated from someone in a large established group whom we have reported on a number of times because of their promoting of emerging speakers, pastors, and authors. One day, earlier this year, someone called us and said they heard that David and Deborah Dombrowski were getting a divorce. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just to alleviate any concerns about the couple who runs Lighthouse Trails, here below is a photo taken a few days ago in their new home state, Montana. This is one couple committed to each other, to the Lord and His Word, and who will not be getting any divorce, by the grace of God.

e. In a scathing, vitriolic manner, one of Rick Warren’s former apologists, posted an article on a highly trafficked website a couple years ago (CrossWalk.com) and inferred that if Lighthouse Trails had the legal means, they would murder and torture people. With our logo on that article, was posted a drawing of someone being tortured during the ancient persecution of Christians. While this is obviously a ludicrous statement to say about us, it is a subliminal way of discrediting the work we do. Lighthouse Trails has never wished ill will against any person or even hinted at any violent or militant behavior against anyone. We adamantly reject anything that goes against the biblical injunction of the Christian believer to not be violent or cruel. We have always sought to uphold the following scriptural instruction in all of our work:

“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26

f. Our final example (though there are many more) says that Lighthouse Trails uses “guilt by association” to implicate those connected to contemplative/emerging spirituality. If this were true, then maybe our work would not be worth paying attention to. But there is a big difference between guilt by association and guilt by proxy or guilt by promotion; and Lighthouse Trails uses the latter form. To explain the difference, an example would be if a pastor quoted something in a Sunday sermon from Mark Twain that is witty or used to make a point. Mark Twain was an agnostic and perhaps even an atheist. If someone from the congregation was to castigate the pastor for quoting Mark Twain as a source, that would not really be a legitimate criticism because the pastor wasn’t holding up Twain as a source of spiritual wisdom or knowledge. In comparison, if a pastor quotes someone like Henri Nouwen or Richard Foster in a spiritual context, this would go without saying that the pastor is promoting the spiritual proclivities of Nouwen or Foster. By using Twain, the pastor is not expounding atheism, but by using Nouwen and Foster and Thomas Merton or others of that ilk, he is placing his stamp of approval on their spiritual outlook (which is mystical) and which he believes is truly Christian. When Lighthouse Trails has connected someone to a contemplative mystic, it is because his or her promotion has been more than just a passing comment or a loose assocation but has actually been where there has been a promotion of contemplative spiriutality to one degree or another (which says “go in this direction).

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 1:3